Operant Conditioning Flashcards
What is operant conditioning?
Learning through consequence
What are the main features of operant conditioning
Positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment and negative punishment
What is positive reinforcement
A desired behaviour is rewarded with something pleasant
What is negative reinforcement
Something unpleasant is taken away for showing desired behaviour
How are punishment and reinforcement different?
Punishment is discouraging undesirable behaviour whereas reinforcement encourages desirable behaviour
What is positive punishment
Something undesired is given as punishment for bad or unwanted behaviour
What is negative punishment
Something pleasant is taken away because undesired behaviour has been shown
What are primary reinforcers
Satisfies a basic need for survival (food)
E.g given sweets for tidying your room
What is a secondary reinforcer
Something that can satisfy a basic need but not in itself a basic need e.g money
What are the schedules of reinforcement?
Fixed interval, variable interval, fixed ratio, variable ratio
What is fixed interval
When the reward is deleted within a fixed time period after the behaviour has been shown
What is a variable interval
When the reward is delivered st varied time periods after the behaviour has been shown
What is fixed ratio
When the reward is delivered after a certain number of responses made
What is variable ratio
When the reward is reliever after a different number of responses are made
What is behaviour modification?
If rewards are planned do that certain behaviours are produced and other dropped this is modifying the individuals behaviour
